Blood in your pee: Lives at risk by not looking for an important sign of bladder and kidney cancer

Blood in your pee: Lives at risk by not looking for an important sign of bladder and kidney cancer

Written on 20 July 2018.

Public Health England (PHE) launches new ‘Be Clear on Cancer’ campaign in Lancashire to highlight blood in pee as a key symptom of bladder and kidney cancers. The campaign will encourage everyone to ‘look before they flush’ and visit their GP without delay if they notice blood in their pee, even if it’s just once.

A new survey reveals that only 19% of adults aged 50 and over (those most at risk of these cancers) in the Lancashire region say they check the colour of their pee every time they go to the toilet. If people don’t look before they flush, they may not notice blood in their pee.

A new short film featuring TV doctor, Dr Dawn Harper, is being released as part of the campaign. The film shows what to look out for as the colour of blood in your pee can vary – from very diluted, to bright red or even dark brown, like the colour of weak black tea. Blood in pee is a symptom in almost two thirds (64%)of all bladder cancers and around a fifth (18%) of kidney cancers.

Dr Neil Smith, local GP and Cancer Lead for Blackburn with Darwen and East Lancashire Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs), said:

“Blood in pee is a major symptom of both bladder and kidney cancers, so we’re asking people to ‘look before you flush’ the toilet. Even if you notice blood in your pee just the once, you should tell your doctor. The chances are it’s nothing serious, but bladder and kidney cancers are more treatable if they are found early. Other potential symptoms to look out for are pains that don’t go away, either in the tummy or the side below the ribs; weight loss, pain when peeing and recurrent, unexplained cystitis – a urinary tract infection that can recur after treatment. If you have any of these symptoms and they persist, you should definitely visit your doctor, and don’t worry that you’re wasting their time, because going to the GP could save your life.”

Blood might not appear every time, so it is important that people seek medical help even if they notice it just once. Latest figures show that every year in England around 19,100 people are diagnosed with bladder or kidney cancer and sadly, around 8,000 people die from these diseases. Early diagnosis is critical; 84% of those diagnosed with kidney cancer and 77% of those diagnosed with bladder cancer at the earliest stage (stage 1) will live for at least five years. At a late stage (stage 4), this drops to 10% and 9% respectively.

Dr Dawn Harper, TV Doctor and GP, said: “I’m urging people to be vigilant to changes in their body and to check their pee. I hear all too often about people who have delayed seeking medical advice if they have worrying symptoms – like blood in pee – because they are afraid of what the doctor might find or what the treatment might be. If you do notice blood in your pee, it’s probably nothing serious, but it’s always worth checking with a health professional, you won’t be wasting their time. It’s vital that people don’t put off getting help; if it is cancer, early diagnosis saves lives.”

Professor Chris Harrison, National Clinical Director (Cancer), NHS England, said: “The earlier people are diagnosed, the better their chances, which is why it is vital people understand what to look out for and when to visit the GP. This campaign has the important aim of helping raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of bladder and kidney cancer and encouraging people to visit their GP after seeing blood in their pee.”

The ‘Be Clear on Cancer’ ‘Blood in Pee’ campaign runs until 23 September and includes advertising on TV, radio and in washrooms and online. For further information about the signs and symptoms of bladder and kidney cancer, search ‘Be Clear on Cancer’.